TOKYO GHOUL: DECAY (SYOC OPEN!)
*RULES AND FORMS ARE AT THE BOTTOM AND ON MY PROFILE!*
Summary:
Decades following the Dragon War, Kaneki's dream of accomplishing equality and tranquility among Ghouls and Humans is all but a hopeless dream, decaying through time. With the TSC and the United Front combining to become the newly reformed government safety division: TWO, follow this reckless ragtag team in their attempt to regain a foothold on Kaneki's peace once and for all.
Warnings: This story is rated M for description of extremely dark themes such as death, murder, gore, language, sexual content, underaged concepts, and more. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. *THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENCE, ALLUDING TO SUGGESTIVE NON-CON/HARASSMENT, AND MORE. This may be triggering, so please skip if it's not for you.
Prologue
(INTRODUCTION ARC)
Garden of Eden
"Begonia... beware, dark thoughts," A clear, crisp voice rang out in the silence as the focused group of Peacekeepers forming Division IV had made their way to the extraction site. Word had gotten out that the youngest daughter of the current T.W.O.'s Chairman had been abducted and sent to a Meet-and-Eat Prostitution Auction. This was a devastatingly cruel blow to the man who had established the crap ton of laws and regulations to secure the lives of many, whether they be Ghoul, Human, or the offspring of both: Half-Ghouls and Half-Humans.
"Belladonna... silence," The voice continued in a whisper, slightly humming as the vehicle softly whirred, experiencing a few small bumps here and there.
A low hiss came from an older officer as an irritated expression etched itself into his somewhat wrinkled features. Stick straight dark blue locks swayed as he turned to the young male whose nose was buried deep in a pocket-sized book. "Holmes! Would ya stop that?!"
"I know I tend to be quite annoying... which is why I don't understand how the lot of you haven't thrown me off a cliff by now..." The brunette answered as he looked up to show off a toothy grin at the other individual. Unaware of the danger lurking beside him, the Squad Leader had a gloved hand smack the young man so hard on the back of the head, the former had dropped the book with a small yelp, "NOBODY IS GOING TO DO THAT. It would be classified as murder in the first-degree. They would then lose their job, their freedom, and their pride. Don't count on it, buddy."
As the brunette leaned down to pick up his paperback edition of 'Hanakotoba for Simple-Minded Idiots,' he had picked up on where he left off. Rather than slowly inserting each word into his memory, he simply read the page as fast as he could. He knew he would recall the contents effortlessly, so 'Holmes' didn't quite mind the speed with which he read. "Bittersweet is truth. Black-Eyed Susan means justice. Bluebell symbolizes humility, constancy. AND Borage is for bluntness, directness."
He closed the book with an audible snap just as the same older officer from before had lunged at him with a rage like no other. The young male skillfully shifted to the side, bumping into a salmon haired woman just as she had placed her gloves on her slender polished hands. Seeing black and red eyes in the form of two menacing kakugans, she cracked her knuckles. At this show of seething suppressed anger, the older man had sat back down immediately, and the young brunette moved back in his seat. Nobody messed with the Second-In-Command...
Everybody knew that.
Fortunately, the woman's deadly glare had instilled another silent ten minutes or so. It was just enough that they were able to arrive at their intended location without any sort of meaningless altercation. "Arthur... we've arrived." A deep voice alerted the other five members situated at the back of the black van as an irritating addition of abrupt static shrieking had attached itself onto the Second-In-Command's radio.
"Yes, Arthur! We are definitely here!" Another voice - slightly higher and more playful - affirmed the other male's announcement. Everybody knew that that was just 'Fluke' being 'Fluke'. The blue-haired man had to restrain himself from offending the young male, always repeating his twin brothers' statements. It was hella annoying!
A sudden snarl came from a child-like female as she leaned back, grabbing her two-toned black and white hair. "FUCK!" She slammed her quinque briefcase on the floor, cursing to the point her eyes had rolled back in her head. She stood up only to sit down and accidentally bang her head on the tinted window of the van.
"You're overreacting, Splits!" The blue-haired man sighed as he turned to the Squad Leader just as they had heard the two agents - the twins - from the front seats open the outside lock and the brunette at the back aided his salmon haired commander in disengaging the other set of locks on their end. "Well? You think Holmes can pull it off?"
"Oh, Saltgrass... Saltgrass... Who said he'd be going in alone?" The blonde-haired man shook his head, pointing at the tall male dressed in a dashing white tuxedo opening the doors with his twin brother. "Mach's coming with him. To keep him company!"
With that, 'Saltgrass' eyed the brunette young male who seemed to be too eager in finishing his piece of stupid, pointless literature that he could barely put it down, "You sure, Merlin? They're both halfies... you sure they ain't gonna smell like food to those freaks holding those girls hostages?"
'Merlin' chuckled, ruffling his hair as he took his quinque briefcase with him, "I mean. As much as I wanna put myself in the fray, I don't think my being human would be beneficial for this infiltration operation. Besides, Saltgrass... We drew straws, and this is the end result!" While the blonde stepped out of the van with a smiling face and a rather nonchalant attitude, the blue-haired Ghoul couldn't help but shudder as his pupils turned dark red, white scleras now an inky black color. Their Squad Leader wasn't that nice when it came to facing off bloodthirsty man-eaters.
In fact... to Ghouls everywhere, 'Merlin' was a living demon.
...
"This skinny piece of attractive meat will be sold for seven million yen! A little low... but look at her! She's a real beauty!" A large, balding Ghoul yelled as he slammed his hand on the top of the oversized metal cage with his prize huddling inside. "We take care of our livestock! All for your hunger and pleasure!"
The chain that he held with his other hand shook in excitement. "This one's a virgin, too! COME AND GET HER!" When he pulled, the girl's weak frame had been mercilessly dragged. She choked on the leather collar, crying in pain. Silky black hair shone in the bright lighting of the spotlight directed at her naked petite body.
A man in the crowd stood up, grumbling under his breath, "What the fuck is she?! Damn it! I WANNA KNOW!" His eyes had formed their kakugan, obviously excited and eager to win against the bidder who was to claim her for a meager sum of seven million yen.
"Now! Now! She's a HUMAN!" The man grabbed the black locks forcibly, making the girl tremble in pain, weeping as she begged to be let go. "I know... I know... You wished she'd be a Half-Human, but this girl's fucking ripe! Her walls will tighten around you just as you eat her alive! DOUBLE PLEASURE!" He drooled, letting go and asking for another bid.
When he didn't hear another bid like he hoped would come about, the balding pig had asked his masked helpers to put the girl's body in full display. They had advertised her in such a lewd and disgusting way, the same man that had vigorously asked for her species' identification had yelled out, "I'll take her for ten million yen! NO! For that bitch, I'll make it fifteen million yen!"
"Thirty million yen!" The first buyer had once again gotten his way as the girl had been quickly brought to his designated room, and the other man huffed in vexation at not having been able to afford such a considerable sum. Maybe another time. He'd just wait for a Half-Human.
'Machiavelli' had given his auction bid paddle of '592' to another Ghoul, leaving 'Holmes' where he sat. The young male was still preoccupied with his book, his gaze never leaving the page he had been stuck on for the past few minutes or so. Even in his masked attire, he didn't seem to care much about the rather plump twenty-ish-year-old woman brought out rather inhumanely - the woman's body falling inside the cage with an audible thud.
"Now... BE CAREFUL! We've got a half-human here. No longer a virgin. If you threaten her enough, she'll obey you like a mutt! Once you're done with her, she'll be the best fucking meal of your entire life!" Having slipped his thick fingers through the bars, the auctioneer smirked, tongue slightly peeking from his yellowish teeth. A dark gleam in his bulging kakugan eyes. Hand tightly gripping the woman's arm, he peered into her terrified light blue eyes, ash-blonde pixie bob cut hair framing her still youthful face - the shortened lifespan hadn't taken its hold on her just yet.
"So... who's hungry?!"
...
As 'Machiavelli' entered the cold, lightly dim room where the frightened girl he bought from the auction could be seen huddled in a corner, he didn't waste time in closing the door, locking it, and looking around. Without a second glance, he had located the hidden camera that monitored their incoming would-be sex scene.
Of course, he wasn't stupid.
After "accidentally" spilling water on the camera skillfully concealed in a picture frame of a stock picture of some depressing house on a hill, complete with the gray skies and monotone colors, 'Machiavelli' cursed all the while placing it down where the camera would be forced to see nothing but a black void.
"Kid... it's gonna be okay!" Approaching the girl in careful steps, he flashed his identification badge her way. "We're gonna bust you out of here!"
He sighed, messing with his styled dark hair as he sat down on a chair a few ways away from her now curious gaze, black hair all a mess and eyes puffy from endless crying,"... REALLY?"
"Yeah... if that auction would just hurry the fuck up!"
...
"AND NOW, GENTLEMEN!"
As the spotlights danced around the dark room, a beautiful woman was led out very carefully, white wavy locks all a wonderful mess around her porcelain doll-like face. By then, everyone had been taken by her alluring charm. They knew her by the name 'Kaneki Umeko,' daughter of that wretched Ghoul whose very existence became a threat to his own kind. It would be amazing, fucking her up real good. After all, she was just like her father.
It wasn't long that the auction commenced, and many bidders were willing to spend millions upon millions of yen to satisfy their cravings for human flesh and sexual desire. "OHOHO! THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE! THE NUMBERS KEEP GOING UP! What does this bitch have to say about the amount of attention she's getting!" The same announcer had pulled on her collar for emphasis, but the woman didn't budge as she yanked the chain back with all her strength. Even when her body shook with the force she exerted to stay put, she was wrenched towards the front end of the cage.
"Look how feisty she is, men! You'll find a delicious fighter in this woman! Choke her! Break her! Punish her! Yes!" While some repulsive form of ecstasy had taken over the unmasked portion of the man's ugly face, the woman had spat on his suit as he kneeled to present her to her buyers.
Saliva dripped down on the expensive silky fabric, his pig-like face twitching in anger as he yanked her with too much force that she had begun to choke. The helpers came, but the man whisked them away and let go of the chain. By then, the woman's face had been fully revealed. Heterochromic crystalline eyes of gold and purple angrily teared up while the bidding went up and up, and suddenly, a clear voice rang out.
"ONE BILLION YEN. If not, I can always increase the amount." The buyer stood up, having placed his book back in the inside pocket of his suit. He turned his head around to view the other males there when another Ghoul at the back lifted his paddle of '666' to say, "I'll take her for TWO BILLION YEN."
"Oh... I see." 'Holmes' gritted his teeth at the challenger who might put this whole operation at a very different place if he didn't do anything to change it. He sighed, frustrated that he might end up costing the agency too much revenue at this endeavor. "Just put another EIGHT BILLION on that amount." He lazily let the nearby helpers see his bidding paddle of '444'.
"..." The man with the deeper, hoarse voice kept silent, seeming to use that quiet time to intimidate his fellow Ghoul. Just as he tried to speak, the woman trapped inside the cage chuckled, talking now that she was able to get the words out of her mouth, "Fucking swines... disgusting wretches..."
She held onto the rusting bars of the cage. "You all deserve to rot in hell. Kill me. Eat me. But you will all meet your end. I promise you that." A searing smile attached itself onto her face, and a strangely unsettling feeling traveled down the row of confused and utterly unnerved Ghouls.
All except one.
With that fierce declaration of hers, 'Holmes' simply laughed. It was light and airy, as his shoulders went along with his bouts of unusually deranged laughter, countering her malignant pledge, "If that's all the FIRE she's got, I've WON her already! No objections. NONE. WHATSOEVER. Hand the bitch, and go about your delightful days, GENTLE GHOULS!" The brunette eagerly handed one of the Ghoul helpers his bidding paddle, hitting the object at the staff's chest without so much as a hesitating glance. The challenger, on the other hand, Holmes peered from the corner of his vision. He merely stood up, grabbed his coat, and left the chamber, heading in the opposite direction where 'Holmes' was being guided to, a rigid line of defeat tensing his shoulders.
They led the brunette into a beautiful Victorian room - courtesy of the facility for spending more than a billion on one of their distinguished livestock. Just as 'Holmes' had left the main chamber, he could still recall the feeling of the woman's glare burning into his back.
...
'Holmes' waited just as he had done some looking around the square-tiled room. Situated near the window was a humongous bed with frames made of antique marbled wood. Clearly, a product made overseas, and overhanging curtains draped on the sides, and the bed itself had been covered in fragrant rose petals. Grabbing a few of the red petals in a messy bunch in his hand, he let his hand fall back on the bed.
"What a waste..."
Exhausted and hungry, he imagined he'd be in a different place as of now if only he'd been born a human. The thought of how devastatingly simple and enjoyable it'd be made him trace the simple cross tattoo he had on his wrist. Closing his eyes, lips set apart just a bit to let the air fill his lungs, he whispered into the dead of night, "Dear, God... if you truly exist..."
The brunette frowned, huffing as he pulled the sleeve of his dress shirt over his wrist quite roughly. Getting up from the beautiful white cotton sheets and removing his suit jacket off of his muscular arms and shoulders, he had set it down on a flower-patterned armchair.
In his curious gaze around the darkened space before him one more time, a faint sound entered his ears. He shook his head, trying to concentrate on the task at hand. By then, the young male had also found the hidden camera that threatened to destroy his escape plan with the main victim and immediately disposed of it by covering it with his mask.
'Holmes' smirked, genuinely satisfied with how he handled the whole situation with the auction. The sooner the girl reached his room, the faster the violent side of the operation could commence.
Oh, he was going to enjoy that.
So far, he concluded that despite the bidding paddles having numbers that were reaching hundreds, only a few Ghouls were even able to afford these outrageously expensive private activities. Besides, this particular 'meet-and-eat' establishment was one of many in this part of the district. It meant that the total number of Ghouls that were actually allowed to be a part of the auction was only a few.
If he were to think back on the moments he arrived with 'Machiavelli' - just before he took his seat, he could clearly count the number of heads present in that chamber. At this very moment, there could be anywhere from twenty to thirty individuals, fifty to sixty with staff included. With the five of them going in for the offensive, they might as well take ten to fifteen Ghouls each, give or take.
But he knew he had to contact 'Machiavelli'. At the very least, it's crucial for him to let the other agent know that he'd essentially secured the main objective and was waiting for her brief arrival. While he had pressed the button on the mic built in his bowtie to state his message, the door opened, and Ms. Kaneki - barely dressed in a silky smooth white nightgown - greeted him with the same unkindly glare she had given him earlier. Her hands were tied in a scratchy bloody rope, and she didn't stop at the attempt to free herself. The door closed, and the two were left alone.
"Code-H01M95-It's a G.O." Having alerted the others that everything was going according to plan, 'Holmes' expected that a bloody massacre would come about in a few minutes or so.
While the blood on the woman's wrist continued to produce a pleasant effect on his senses, he had done his best to ignore his unspoken desires as he walked up to her. But with every step, his vision sharpened to trace her white flesh against the stark black surrounding her pale body. His breathing hitched as the woman's sweet smell filled his lungs. His ears could pick up every movement of the rope on her skin. Even his mouth had begun to salivate. He wanted to touch her.
He wanted to DEVOUR her.
As an audible, gut-wrenching scream sounded in the distance, the silence in that spacious pitch-black room felt a little eerier as horrifying, increasing volumes of pain-filled shrieking penetrated the air.
Mingling with the piercing cries of detestable Ghouls - whose blood ran cold and rotting and scarlet flesh and organs lay strewn about on the carpeted floors - was a distinct smell of heavenly dripping red down living, breathing human flesh. It rolled down her wrist, continuing to wash over her blackened nails.
The one-eyed Ghoul slowly closed off the distance between the two as an overwhelming feeling overcame his rationality. Rushing to push her on the bed, her features remained an indignant rage, heterochromatic eyes unwavering from his hungry stare. As black and red settled in the male's right eye revealing a crazed kakugan wide open, he breathed out, desperate to eat, "DAMN! You smell..."
"REALLY GOOD..." Drool pooled inside his mouth, coating his glistening white teeth. One hand had grabbed hold of the woman's neck while the other snaked down her bleeding wrists still brought together by that shitty piece of old rope.
*COME IN, 'HOLMES'! DO YOU COPY?! MACH LET ME KNOW YOUR BIDDING NUMBER! 444! ROOM 444, RIGHT?!*
'Splits' quickly used her maneuver gear of two steel wires acting as grappling hooks to propel herself up on the building, digging her bikaku quinque on the walls like slicing through butter.
Bringing the tied pale hands covered in irresistible dried Half-Human blood, 'Holmes' leaned in, mouth opening and mind severely lost in thought.
* THAT'S THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE CHAIRMAN'S DAUGHTER, YES?! DAMN IT! ANSWER ME, SON OF A BITCH! FINE! WAIT TILL I GET THERE!*
The two-tone haired woman threw a small tantrum as she pulled up the building's footprint. With a few quick sliding up and down of her exposed finger on the compact tablet integrated on her sleeve, she located just where Room 444 was placed in this big of an establishment. She spat at the wall - quickly leaping and taking off - on the move once more.
There was a sudden pause as the brunette remembered something he had read from a tattered old book a priest had given him to keep upon his first visit to a Catholic monastery.
The father had read to him a specific verse from the book, and he still kept the thought of what it could mean to him in his godforsaken life.
"IT SAYS IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS. CHAPTER 3. VERSE 1.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
NOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU THE MOST?"
*I SWEAR, FUCKING SHITHEAD! I'M MOTHERFUCKING CLOSE TO FUCKING SKINNING YOU ALIVE! SHITTY SUGAWARA! KOUSUKE!*
Lunging at high speeds towards a downward slope, the child-like woman skillfully landed at a wide balcony. She knew she was getting closer... If only that turd would at least open the window to the room!
"The SERPENT and HIS QUESTION."
I READ THE VERSE, FATHER. I RESEARCHED WHAT IT MEANT BEFORE TALKING WITH YOU.
"WHAT ABOUT THE SERPENT? WHAT COULD IT ME-"
"Temptation."
I HAVE A TEMPTATION FOR HUMAN FLESH. HUMANS. I WANT TO EAT. I WANT TO KILL TO EAT. I'M SO HUNGRY, FATHER.
"YES, MY BOY. BUT EXPAND MORE ON THE IDEA OF THIS VERSE."
"The DECAY of HUMANITY came from the SERPENT."
FATHER, I'M NOT EVEN COMPLETELY HUMAN! WHAT ABOUT GHOULS? WHY DO THEY EAT HUMANS?! IF EVERYTHING HAD A BEGINNING - A CAUSE - WHAT IS THEIR 'GENESIS'?
"KOUSUKE... YOU CAME HERE TO SPEAK TO ME. IS THE SERPENT TEMPTING YOU?"
"Yes, Father."
FATHER, I'M SO HUNGRY. WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I DO?
"WELL, KOUSUKE... WHAT DO I ALWAYS TELL YOU? WHAT CAN YOU DO TO KILL THE SERPENT?"
"Prayer. Through PRAYER."
FATHER, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PRAY.
"MY BOY, YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO TELL ME WHAT IS WEIGHING DOWN ON YOUR SOUL."
"Father. I JUST WANT TO LIVE. TO KEEP LIVING. IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN."
FATHER, I'M AFRAID... I'M AFRAID OF WHAT I AM.
'Holmes' pulled away, feeling his hand burn at something steaming on the woman's wrist. Glancing at the smoke rising from his palm as he stepped back, his kakugan could be seen dilating at the sight of the woman's wounds closing up. He hated himself for even feeling slightly disappointed at the smell of savory aroma fading away like a lid placed on top of a pot of good curry. Not that he enjoyed the taste of that.
*FOUND YOU, KOUSUKE! YOU PIECE OF SHIT!*
'Splits' swung her petite frame, directing her bikaku Quinque at the metal-framed window. The blade made contact, glass flying everywhere.
Kousuke shielded the white-haired woman as the weapon grazed over his shoulder. He remained still just as the sharp sword had been taken out rather roughly, and 'Splits' made no attempt to ask for an apology from the brunette. The one-eyed Ghoul sighed as he glanced at the woman, still silently sitting on the mattress behind him before turning back to the twin-tailed agent.
What did he try to do earlier?
Was he even in his right mind back then?
Just how long was he in that "state"?
"Really, Splits? I knew I was a piece of shit from the very beginning... I don't really need anybody's help figuring that out." Moving out of the way as the other officer threw his Quinque briefcase on the floor, the brunette pulled Ms. Kaneki close to him, carrying her to the window where 'Splits' had taken out a sour gummy packet and letting the tanginess of the confection settle in her mouth.
Splits bluntly introduced herself with a little slur as her tongue salivated at the sour taste of her favorite type of candy, "I'm 'Splits' ouf the T.W.O.'s Centrol Branch - 1st Wurd, Division Fwor!"
After swallowing the contents as quickly as she was able to while dangling outside the building, she finally placed her clenched fist to her chest and heaved up a nasty cough.
"Coughing up pretty bad now, huh? STOP WITH THE DAMN SMOKING. You'll sound like an old hag if you keep it up, and Tachibana - poor guy - will be forced to cancel your engagement..." Sugawara Kousuke, a.k.a. 'Holmes,' held his arms over his head, preparing for some blunt object to be thrown his way, but 'Splits' simply stared at him. With her unamused black gaze planting itself on the briefcase sitting unopened beside the man, she countered the insult the other officer said regarding her up-and-coming wedding, "Instead of carrying such a fucking heavy quinque with you all the fucking time, why not make use of what you already have? You're a shitty WIMP! You have a fucking kagune, BITCH!"
Now it was high time Kousuke dropped his act, and the young male held up a middle finger in 'Splits' 's way, "FUCK YOU. And be careful... This quinque is really sensitive to hard hits."
'Splits' grinned, eagerly watching her junior frown and curse her under his breath because they both knew that she had a damn point! The brunette finally got to unlock the briefcase. And he breathed out in relief, having expected something to slash at him as the case opened, but nothing happened.
Unfolding what looked to be a long metal rod, Kousuke stepped back, slamming the weapon on the floor. The powerful hit was enough to force the kakuhou placed at the end of the rod to activate his three-pronged koukaku quinque - a spear that had two claws on the bottom and another snapping on the middle to form a scissor or a clipper of sorts.
While the male ended up admiring his quinque, holding it with an awed expression on his face, 'Splits' barely missed a moment of it with a disappointed look on her child-like features. In all honesty, she'd wanted to see what his kagune looked like, but her attempts always ended up in vain. She turned to Ms. Kaneki whose beautiful eyes were now trained on the brunette. "Miss. Les'go."
The whole ride down the building, 'Splits' noted that the distinguished Ms. Kaneki had been unusually quiet as she held onto her. It sickened her that things like this still went on. What of the peace that the great "One-Eyed King, Kaneki Ken" had sacrificed so much to build?
What went wrong?
Kousuke turned to extract the last object the briefcase held inside.
Grabbing the mask and putting it on his face, the brunette set the handle of his quinque spear upon his shoulder - a sickening smile spreading on the exposed part of his face. The vibrant array of colorful flowers and leaves plastered meticulously on the mask took away all the attention off of his face.
"YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE."
Stepping out of the room, the one-eyed Ghoul had inspected the empty hallway.
Walking towards the elevator, he had slowly cut his palm, allowing the overwhelming smell of his blood to circulate in the hall, inviting any Ghoul coming his way. Just as he had let the red liquid ooze from the slit on his hand, a kagune had struck from behind, slamming its entirety on the carpet floor lining the hallway. The pulsing pale lavender rinkaku kagune missed Kousuke as he rolled away. Just as another attack came down, the agent had maneuvered to let his quinque take the hit. Another rinkaku scale came at him, and he leaped away from his attacker. So far, two appendages had tried to take him out.
"T.W.O. AGENTS REALLY DON'T KNOW WHEN TO QUIT. Disgusts me that you use my fellow Ghouls to make that weak weapon of yours!" This Ghoul's kagune lunged at both of the brunette's sides, and a third one coming out from top to net him in like a fish.
"We simply reuse kakuhou from bitches like you." Kousuke spun on his heels, recognizing that the tough exterior of his weapon would have been heavy for human agents - even 'Merlin', but the whole qinque felt light on his hands as the scissor cut through brittle tendrils. The male Ghoul screamed, barely getting a foothold as the officer hit the blunt end of the spear to the ground. The hit had once again reinvigorated the unique quinque, and the sharp end spun, making a sort of loud crackling noise.
On his knees, the Ghoul was pulled closer and closer to the snapping end like an object trapped in a conveyor belt, unable to get away. Just as the man-eater had thought of entering the Third Phase, making the kagune disappear, he trembled as he noticed a flowery scent overpowering his nostrils," Y-You're..."
The Ghoul stumbled away, deathly afraid, running for his life when a blade clamped around his body, quickly breaking his skin, muscles, bones, and organs. The body crumpled pathetically similar to that of a wire cutter piercing through a bottle full of soda.
"The CUTTER!"
The force quickly made the Ghoul corpse burst, head and entrails flying everywhere. And deep within the half that still remained intact, a pulsing kakuhou could be seen.
Kousuke had carefully taken out the sack of flesh and placed it in a container in his briefcase, having had the technology necessary to preserve it for the time being. T.W.O. Agents needed to be able to do this kind of dirty work, especially with the changes made in the original organizations making up the decades-long peace that kept the whole of Tokyo afloat. T.S.C. and The United Front's days were over. The two groups merging to create T.W.O., but even with the new set of rules and regulations, this shit still happens.
Wiping the blood off of the handle, the brunette had reached the elevator, entering the boxed space with blinking lights. His face showed a heavy frown just as the doors were ripped open, forcing the doors to open just as another Ghoul's kagune entered, slamming him to the side.
"Shit!" The agent grunted as the spiraling kagune wrapped around his waist, forcing him out of the elevator. Another masked Ghoul - separate from the one pulling Kousuke out of the lift - prepared their barrage of attacks only to be foiled as soon as they made their first move. A dark green shard shot between both of their heads like a homing missile, exploding the skulls in contact. They fell limp as 'Machiavelli' blew the neon green smoke that had come out of the flaring ukaku kagune situated on his back, his left eye a visible kakugan, "Need a little help, Holmes?"
...
Ms. Kaneki held onto 'Splits' just as they had reached the abandoned building a few ways away from the establishment situated by the ports.
A half-eyed Ghoul greeted them with a grin on his face, "It sure is good to see ya again, Nakatomi-san! What about Susumu?" He looked behind the two women, still as optimistic as ever.
"He stayed behind. BUT WE NEED TO GET A MOVE ON." The twin-tailed agent opened the backdoor to find another girl already inside as she went in, and Ms. Kaneki had settled herself near the driver's seat. The child-like woman narrowed her eyes at 'Fluke,' and he shrugged, "I thought Susumu would come back... he did drop this girl off before heading back inside."
It wasn't long till the two other females situated at the back of the van had fallen asleep, and the drive back didn't take too much time either. 'Splits' found herself looking back at the facility as they reached the central city bustling with the nightlife and the tons of crowds going in and out of the 1st Ward, Chiyoda-ku. "Be careful, guys."
...
"Arghh! FINALLY!" 'Saltgrass' arched his back as the leading team in charge of harvesting Ghoul kakuhou arrived at the scene minutes after they had declared almost every Ghoul attending the auction dead. They placed the names and faces of the deceased in a database before securing the numerous kakuhou that had come from this specific raid.
The blue-haired Ghoul sat at the back of a transport van, tying his hair back and sniffing the bloody air around him, "Man. Raids always make me fucking hungry." Not a moment after, 'Machiavelli' sat beside the older officer, offering a bottle of coffee. "It's not whiskey... but it'll do until we get back to the agency."
"Man, Merlin looks like he hadn't touched a thing..." With one eye still in its kakugan form, 'Machiavelli' lifted one of his legs up on the vehicle, turning his body to lean on the side of the van while the other dangling leg placed itself inside the car. His mismatched eyes were trained on the countless containers of Ghoul kakuhou being placed in an armored truck.
"You notice it too, huh? The man's a monster! I'm glad I ain't in their shoes. I'd end up dead too." The blue-haired Ghoul narrowed his eyes at the sight of the blonde Squad Leader talking to the other agents assigned to clean up the whole mess. The man had been his junior, but the guy had climbed up the ranks like it was no big deal - now, it was clear why.
"Saltgrass, are you really that scared of the guy?" The one-eyed Ghoul inquired, turning to look at what his senior had been eyeing warily for quite some time now.
From the side of the vehicle closest to 'Saltgrass', a woman had suddenly popped her head out to surprise him with her hair all up on her face. It was the same salmon haired woman. The second-in-command had picked up a few Ghoul entrails and placed it on her shoulders and head, face still covered in Ghoul blood, "AHHH!"
"Fucking son-of-a! You've got to be shitting me, Arthur! DO NOT DO THAT AGAIN!" The older man continued his angry ranting at the woman who couldn't care less what he had to say about her behavior. She acted the way she wanted to, and nobody could tell her otherwise. She simply ignored the furious 'Saltgrass' as he lectured her over and over again about respecting the dead, "Well, then. Guess I really need to go shower now..."
Beside the vehicle where the members of Division IV chatted quite loudly, another transport van held the countless women who had been auctioned - well, what's left of them anyway. Kousuke stood a distance away from the surviving victims, listening in on the conversation 'Merlin' had with the 'Branch Sub-Supervisor' coming to check in on the Ghouls that escaped and the women killed.
The brunette thought of what had happened earlier. Surely, it was a trick of the mind. He had been prone to hallucinate with the pills he took daily. 'Are Half-Humans...'
"Merlin?" The slightly younger agent approached 'Merlin' as the blonde made sure the van holding the victimized females was secured. He gave them his best smile and best regards, trying to ease the depression that had taken them over. They were almost eaten, and the agents could only do so much to help them get through all of this.
Just as the blonde-haired man turned to engage in conversation with his junior, Kousuke waved his hand, turning away and walking back to their ride home. Nah, he wouldn't talk to him right now... Maybe later. Kousuke didn't know for sure, but perhaps, he was just overthinking things? Yeah, that could be the case. And he didn't want to get the other mixed up in his problems anyways.
'Merlin' didn't pursue the man's retreating figure, but it left him wanting to know just what the younger male wanted to tell him. His eyes widened as more than a few thoughts entered his mind.
'Could it be that he?' The blonde shook his head, knowing that all dark thoughts making its way into his mind were merely fantasies. Surely, it was nothing. Maybe a quote or two the boy suddenly remembered, wanting to share it with him.
Surely, it was nothing!
...
Oh, but it was something, alright!
As soon as the other five members of Division IV made their way out of the transport van, a few agents were waiting with quinques ready in hand, "WE NEED TO HAVE A TALK WITH AGENT SUGAWARA KOUSUKE. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO AS WE SAY."
The four remaining members all watched as Kousuke disappeared inside the branch office with the agents directing their activated quinques at the young male. Not long after that, he was interrogated regarding whatever stunt he pulled with the Chairman's daughter. While the charges were non-existent and he wasn't going to lose his job, the Supervisor had to force him to take a week-long break to take care of his health. It was not much of a request but more of an order. It didn't seem fair to the brunette as he sighed, dreading what the week of inactivity would bring him. Well, maybe he would use this time to purchase his next batch of coffee grinds from the café he frequented.
As he punched his timecard to leave the agency building after he had taken a shower and let the others know of the entire situation, he visibly watched his name on the members' list turn red with 'VOID' written beside it.
Division IV
Merlin: Squad Leader, Mentor
- Ohara Ken'ichi
Arthur: Deputy Squad Leader
- Ishida Nanami
Splits: Member
- Nakatomi Hiyori
Saltgrass: Mentor
- Hosokawa Aiba
Holmes: Member
- Sugawara Kousuke [VOID]
Fluke: Member
- Todoroki Atsushi
Machiavelli/Mach: Member
- Todoroki Susumu
Kousuke groaned, taking his coat off as he hailed a cab. Fuck, just his luck. His superiors were really pissed with him, and honestly, Kousuke couldn't blame them. They had the right to be upset. His little stunt of a slip-up was unprofessional - actually, it was BEYOND unprofessional. He could've EATEN her, and Kaneki Umeko was supposed to be the victim he was entrusted to rescue. Kousuke was very lucky that they didn't put him in prison with attempted murder by cannibalism charge...
The brunette felt an awful, uncomfortable churning in the pit of his stomach as a wave of nausea hit him. 'Fuck.' Kousuke thought as he gripped his head in his hands in defeat. He was so disgusted with himself, with his nasty horrible thoughts and actions... All he could do was force himself to breathe and hold down the nausea bubbling under the surface as he suffered through the miserable ride home.
The walk up to his apartment and the elevator ride didn't fare any better, and Kousuke was barely able to keep himself together before finally slamming the door of his apartment behind him. His back hit the door, and he slid down the cold metal to land with his ass on the floor. His head was a mess of sounds, panic, and yelling, and he let his skull thump back against the door. Self-hatred swirled and knotted his gut, nausea intensifying the more he thought about what he tried to do today.
Fuck. He hated himself. He HATED what he almost did, and for what? Reducing a living human being to nothing more than a meal? He was sick.
'Fucking disgusting. I'm awful!' The brunette's chest panged with small stabs of dread.
"WHY? WHY AM I LIKE THIS?" Kousuke hissed through gritted teeth, and the back of his eye sockets stung like fire with bitter tears he refused to let fall. It was all his fault. His own fucking fault. He didn't deserve to cry or feel any sort of self-pity when he was the cause of his own grief. He'd been born as this monster, and now, here he was... almost eating a poor kidnapped woman who he was supposed to be saving. What kind of savior did that?
He wasn't any of the sort.
He was nothing more than a fiend.
A devil.
BEHIND THE SCENES:
- There are four families rising to the top as this story unfolds. They are called: The Four-Leaf Clover Families, The Four Cardinal Clans, The Four Spheres of Influence, and/or The Four Pillars of Vitality. *Occupying the entirety of Tokyo's Special Wards, these four families have control in many aspects of the lives of Ghouls, Humans, Half-Ghouls, and Half-Humans.
1. The Shiromori Family (Nationwide Business Tycoon)
CONTROLS THE NORTHERN WARDS
2. The Kaneki Family (Government & Media Control)
CONTROLS THE WESTERN & CENTRAL WARDS
3. The Hagakure Family (International Business Conglomerate)
CONTROLS THE SOUTHERN WARDS
4. The Yoshimura Family (Agriculture & Shrine Keeping)
CONTROLS THE EASTERN WARDS
These four families have an established alliance, responsible for most of the facilities that are present in the 23 Wards. They are the intermediaries for the regions they control, working closely with T.W.O. to break apart would-be Ghoul/Human criminal organizations.
- The Tokyo Watcher's Organization's Main HQ - the CENTRAL HQ has branched out, building the NORTH, EAST, SOUTH, and WEST HEADQUARTERS to reach the ends of Tokyo's 23 Wards.
1. The CENTRAL HQ is placed in the 1st Ward, Chiyoda-Ku, replacing TSC MAIN HQ.
+ The Kaneki Family controls the region it is in.
+ The color they represent is a golden yellow.
2. The NORTH HQ is placed in the 17th Ward, Kita-Ku.
+ The Shiromori Family controls the region it is in.
+ The color they represent is black.
3. The EAST HQ is placed in the 15th Ward, Suginami-Ku.
+ The Yoshimura Family controls the region it is in.
+ The color they represent is blue.
4. The SOUTH HQ is placed in the 11th Ward, Oota-Ku.
+ The Hagakure Family controls the region it is in.
+ The color they represent is vermillion red.
5. The WEST HQ is placed in the 23rd Ward, Edogawa-Ku.
+ The Kaneki Family controls the region it is in.
+ The color they represent is white.
- With the advances in technology, there had been a "TOTAL PEACE" attained with the last Dragon Orphan killed to signal the end of the Dragon War once and for all. It is said that one of Kaneki Ken's descendants was the one to accomplish this, but the name of said individual cannot be seen in any modern history textbooks.
- By this time, Synthetic Foods were truly incorporated into Ghoul Society thanks to the efforts of many Ghoul and Human Researchers working together to create more flavors for Ghouls and Half-Ghouls to enjoy.
- Ghouls, Humans, and Halfies are integrated in society. There are rules and regulations set up to make this a possibility, and so far, the 'Ghoul Hunger Rate' is still at its lowest.
OC REQUIREMENTS:
What I'm needing is around 8 OCs for the creation of the newly formed Division IX of the CENTRAL HQ for T.W.O. These 8 OCs will compose the main team of the fic that are under the leadership of another OC. Since these are different times, I only need just a few of every species - Feel free to ask if a certain position is filled because I won't take in too many Ghouls or Half-Ghouls. Quinx are also welcome as long as they're reasonable. I will only accept completed forms for these positions, and I'll try my best to give as equal airtime as possible. Please read the rules before submitting for more details! Questions are welcome, just PM me.
The Squad Positions available are:
- Deputy Squad Leader (0/1)
- Mentor (0/3)
- Member (0/4)
BANNED (NO IFS OR BUTS):
Please do not create characters with kagune and concepts too similar to canon or a direct carbon copy. Nothing insanely overpowered abilities or combinations of 'Ghoul, God, Demon, Dragon, Half-Ghoul'. You cannot have a crazy mutated kagune or something unreasonable to the OC. Please don't say you're a combo of Kaneki and another character, or a direct child of any canon character, considering this is far into the future. Let's keep it as realistic as possible, please.
RULES:
1. I WILL ONLY ACCEPT OCS THROUGH PM. Please title your PM Subject as: (CHARACTER NAME, AGE, SPECIES). This helps me keep your characters organized and makes it easier for me to message you back.
*DO NOT USE ANY OTHER FORM EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE.
2. Please review as often as possible, so I know you're still involved. Also, to keep up with the updates, follow this story.
3. This isn't first come, first serve. I do not make spot reservations, but I plan on giving everyone plenty of time to submit.
4. No Mary-Sues/Gary-Sues! Real people have a ton of flaws, so this should also apply to your OC. Think of the canon characters and what makes them realistic and apply this concept to your character.
5. NO INCOMPLETE FORMS! Only send your form once you've finished it. If you are worried about an idea you have for your OC then PM me, I'd be happy to help, but please don't send me an incomplete form and ask me to check it. Again, this isn't a first come, first serve deal.
6. You may submit more than one OC, but do make sure to send them in separate PM threads.
7. No characters from other realms or series! (PM me if you have questions or need me to check your idea.)
8. Please DELETE the parentheses when you fill out the form!
FORM:
*Basic Information
Name: (Last, First! Since the story takes place in Japan, please have Japanese names!)
Gender: (Male/Female)
Species: (Human/Ghoul/Half-Human/Half-Ghoul)
Nickname/s: (OPTIONAL! BUT it'd be cool to have these for character interaction!)
Codename/Alias: (What does your OC go by? Such as Kaneki Ken's "Eyepatch", etc.)
Age: (Anywhere from 13 to 50)
Sexuality: (You do you!)
Occupation: T.W.O. Agent (You may have to PM me if you want your character to have another type of occupation.)
*Appearance
Eyes:
Hair:
Body Type:
Height & Weight:
Skin:
Other Unusual Features:
Character Look: (OPTIONAL! Anime/Art LINKS ONLY! - TRY PINTEREST *hint hint*)
Clothing/Fashion Style: (Please provide at least two whole outfits!)
Accessories:
*Personality
Personality (A minimum of 300 words! The more the better! I WANT DETAILS. Who is your character? What are their personality traits? What makes them unique? What are their mannerisms? How do they react in certain situations? Goals? Mindset? Think about what separates them from other characters. You can just write a paragraph of their personality as a whole or actually list personality traits and explain and expand on them. It's entirely up to you what format you go for. This is one of the most important sections of the form, so PLEASE make sure to focus your time on this. And NO ONE IS PERFECT. INCLUDE NEGATIVE TRAITS AS WELL AS POSITIVE/NEUTRAL!)
Personal Strengths: (At least three, please!)
Personal Weaknesses: (At least three!)
Likes: (The more the better!)
Dislikes: (The more the better!)
Habits/Mannerisms: (Maybe informal speech? Shaking violently when anxious? Etc.)
Fears: (What is your OC most afraid of? State their emotional, physical, and/or psychological triggers. Maybe phobias?)
*Background
Residence/Housing:
Family: (Please try to include a brief description of each important member and their relationship with your OC.)
History: (I need a minimum of a paragraph here. Don't give me a sentence saying your OC had a boring past and leave it at that. It doesn't matter whether it was angsty, happy, or uneventful for the most part! Everyone has a past, so please include that here. Include their childhood and anything important that affected your OC. Anything like that will be very much appreciated.)
Friends: (What kind of people do they get along with?)
Enemies: (What kind of people do they hate?)
OPTIONAL * Love Interest/Significant Other: (Would they want a love interest? Are there certain types of people they're attracted to? Feel free to include possible interactions/first meeting, any scenes you'd like to happen, unrequited love, and etc.)
OPTIONAL * Voice Actor:
*To be a GHOUL... or not to be a GHOUL, that is the question?
'GHOUL/HALF-GHOUL' Rc Type/Kagune: (Rinkaku, Ukaku, Koukaku, or Bikaku)
'GHOUL/HALF-GHOUL' Kagune Description: (What does your kagune look like? Give a detailed description of the color, texture, shape, etc.)
'HUMAN/HALF-HUMAN' Quinque: (Type and Description)
Fighting Style: (Are they close, medium, or long range? Expand on this section.)
*Other Necessary Information
What do they think of the opposite species if they are either Ghoul, Human, or Half-Ghoul/Half-Human?: (Feelings on Ghouls, Humans, Halfies, etc.)
What are their goals?:
Would they ever switch sides?:
Quotes:
Scenes and Ideas:
Extra: